Panthers take different path to earn repeat trip to regionals

NEWTON TOWNSHIP – Expectations surrounded a veteran Maysville softball team after last year’s regional semifinal appearance.

The path back was far from smooth, but the Panthers overcame those bumps to earn a second-straight regional semifinal berth where they face Hebron Lakewood (29-1) at 5 p.m. Thursday at Pickerington Central.

Maysville (18-10) defeated Philo 8-3 and Cambridge 2-0 to claim the sectional title before overcoming a 4-0 deficit to win the district championship with a 14-4 six-inning mercy of Richmond Edison.

“We hoped to be here. We had good stretches and some not-so-good stretches during the season,” Maysville coach Greg Vaughn said. “The MVL was a good league, and we had tough non-league games. We had some strange games in the tournament, but we can’t use inexperience as an excuse.”

There was an adjustment period in the early going. Maysville replaced several key contributors so time was needed to find the right mix, noted senior first baseman Taylor Balderson.

“We lost Regan and Kenzie (Bennett) and Kelsie (Farmer), but having them back (as assistant coaches) helped us push through,” she said. “We have gelled together, and our hitting has come around. You couldn’t ask it to come together at a better time than the tournament.”

The one constant has been the battery of junior pitcher Madison Riggle and senior catcher Paige Morrow.

Vaughn stressed their importance through the ups and downs of the season.

“We have the same person in the circle and behind the plate,” he said. “Those are two key spots with experience. They have taken us through a lot of things and they’re our leaders.”

Riggle’s demeanor may be the Panthers’ most valuable asset.

“Madison is a calm pitcher, and everyone follows her lead,” Morrow said. “I’ve been catching her since I was 12. We have fun out there and never disagree, but she stays straight-faced. You won’t know the score by looking at her.”

Composure is necessary during the tournament, but Vaughn admitted his team’s even-keeled nature makes them tough to read.

“They don’t have a lot of highs and lows, which can be good or can be bad,” he said. “They don’t get down on themselves, but they don’t get carried away. They don’t give up, they just go out and play the game.”

The Panthers need to keep that mindset against the Lancers, who are very similar to Vaughn’s squad.

“They seem like a carbon copy of us,” he said. “They’re fairly young, and their pitcher is a lot like Madison. They don’t make mistakes in the field and are able to move runners. They’re fundamentally sound.”

This season prepared the Panthers for this game. They battled through a tough Muskingum Valley League and faced three Division I teams — Akron Hoban, Marysville and Mentor — in early May at the Akron Racers Showcase.

Balderson said the team is confident.

“Those games were an eye opener,” she said. “It showed us how we’re capable of playing and what we could be.”

With the stakes rising, the seniors will not go quietly.

“We’ve been in a zone. Everyone is ready to go,” Morrow said. “We have a group of seniors who aren’t ready to leave yet.”

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